The 27th anniversary of the massacre of 106 civilians in Pastasel, in the Municipality of Rahovec, has been marked. The commemoration of the victims of one of the gravest crimes of the Kosovo war was also attended by Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

He said that the 106 civilians in Pastasel were killed only because they were Albanians. Kurti added that remembrance of these victims is not enough and that justice must be served.

According to him, it is the duty of justice institutions to turn these cases into indictments.

“At this place of remembrance, we return so as never to forget the day when 106 civilians were killed only because they were Albanians. After separating them from their families, they lined them up in four groups and executed them in a cold-blooded manner. A premeditated crime against humanity. They were killed mercilessly, destroying the dreams of a new generation. On that day, the roots of heritage were struck. Memory is not enough only as remembrance; it must also become justice. It is the duty of justice institutions to turn these into indictments. Delayed justice is diminished justice, but we will never stop seeking it. They later tried to erase the truth by exhuming and burning the bodies. Serbia committed genocide in Kosovo, they thought they would erase us; they left, and we remained here unbroken. The sacrifice of the martyrs became the guiding path of our people,” Kurti said.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Rahovec, Smajl Latifi, said that what happened 27 years ago in this village is a crime against humanity.

“They were killed by order and military plan, 106 men, young men and boys who had not yet grown mustaches. The Serbian occupiers, thirsty for Albanian blood, looted and then burned their houses. They beat and tortured people who could not defend themselves. They separated them into small groups and executed them at close range by order. There is no other name than crime against humanity for such military operations,” Latifi said.

The floor was also given to a survivor of the massacre, Tahir Krasniqi, who recounted the moment he was wounded and how Serbian forces executed Albanian civilians.

“Today is the 27th anniversary of the most barbaric massacre for us. On March 31, I remember that day as if it were today when Serbian forces surrounded us. They separated women from men. Bullets were fired at us from armored vehicles during the executions. Some white flags had been raised to show surrender, but they did not take any notice. They beat us and told us to lower our heads. I learned that there were Serbian paramilitaries in those groups. They took things from my pockets and divided us into four groups for execution. I was in the third group. When they lined us up there, they opened fire from the side. I was lightly wounded and felt very bad and thought I would not survive. When I fell into the stream, I met two people and calmed down. After two days, we returned to bury the dead. Whenever Serbian forces came, we fled and hid, so the burial of the victims lasted four days,” he said.

On March 31, 1999, Serbian forces killed and massacred 106 people from this village and surrounding areas. Pastasel was attacked by Serbian forces, which positioned tanks on the hills and entered the village. Civilians who tried to find shelter were surrounded and forced to surrender. Women and children were expelled under the order “go to Albania,” while men were separated into groups and executed with automatic weapons.